Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices more specifically for use in sports training in the fields of Baseball, Softball, Golf, Tennis, and other sports requiring control of, and the accuracy of a swing of the arms, the positioning and follow through of the legs, and the positioning of the body when developing its precision and its reactions to moving objects.
Description of the Prior Art
Even as far back as 1892 (U.S. Pat. No. 475,432 W C Blades) inventors have been focused on devices to assist baseball players in gaining control over the various aspects of the sport. This first device was designed specifically to develop control over the pitching of a baseball by relieving the stress on the arm as one developed the pitch. In 1905 one of the first Golfing aides was invented (U.S. Pat. No. 802,623 W C Camp) which restricted the bending of the elbow as the ball is struck. It is claimed that by restricting this movement, the direction of, and power behind the ball could be dramatically improved.
Currently active patents include several different concepts as to how to provide training aides for improving baseball and golf performance. Most of these ideas are restricted to these two sports. Examples include training devices that restrict the movement of the arm (U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,142 G A Gilespie) (U.S. Pat. No. 6,514,163 K C Burns), align and fixed engagement of the head (U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,564 J H Young) (U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,663 M A Calace), devices which align the arm or hands (U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,464 K D Curtis) (U.S. Pat. No. 7,128,658 D A DuFour) and devices which couple movement from arm to arm (U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,548 W Upshaw) (U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,366 J D Gray) (U.S. Pat. No. 6,827,654 I Meyer) (U.S. Pat. No. 6,984,184 J D Gray) or arm to leg (U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,856 B A Morse).
In addition to these simple devices are much more complex mechanical components which improve hand/eye coordination (U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,598 J W Carlson), foot placement and movement (U.S. Pat. No. 5,976,026 G A Erb), measurement of, and quality of the swing (U.S. Pat. No. 6,793,585 M M Kanagawa) (U.S. Pat. No. 7,131,916 T Griffin), and providing resistance training to increase strength (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/892,196).
Other devices include an elbow brace (U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,462 T J Kafer), an apparatus used to sense movement when swinging a golf club or baseball bat (U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,089 R W Huffines), a vest with audible alarm to identify completion of a proper swing (U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,581 J M Urban), a device which provides indicia to indicate a triggering movement by the wearer (U.S. Pat. No. 6,918,844 R D Socci) and finally a device “comprising an elongated member of at least a length to extend about the torso of a wearer . . . and a target member slightly secured to the elongated member.” (U.S. Pat. No. 6,932,724 R D Socci)
Devices specific to other sports, include the following for basketball. A device which maintains the players elbows in close proximity when making practice shots (U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,284 J Okerlin); a vest worn by the player including a curved guide bar and an elastic sleeve worn over the elbow which guides the players arm through the desired path for making a proper throw of the ball (U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,685 L E Bishop); and “A flexible, adjustable wrist bank which is snugly and non-slippably worn on the shooting arm . . . ” (U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,905 G Haub).
Additional devices designed specifically for basketball include: attachments to the arm or hand which improve the shooting of the ball (U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,425 J W Wolf) (U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,217 T C Swain) (U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,356 G H Furr) (U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,682 J W Wolf (U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,190 G K Moss) (U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,233 S Strug) and (U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,936 A M Kirkpatrick). Devices in the literature which restrict the movement of one or both hands in order to “train” the hands and arms to a proper shooting technique (U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,342 S R Houck) (U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,877 N G Brownell) (U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,952 M W Blevins) (U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,547 L G Gilford) (U.S. Pat. No. 6,203,453 D L Coddens) (U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,877 G Cook) (U.S. Pat. No. 6,645,093 M C Sheppard) and (U.S. Pat. No. 7,172,522 C D Harvey).
Devices specific to Boxing include one to “keep an athletes arms and legs in a releasably fixed position adjacent to the athletes torso” (U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,137 W G Bustance) and a hand/wrist stabilization device (U.S. Pat. No. 6,013,044 J J Estwanik).
A Softball pitching aid is described which mounts to the hips and thighs including a number of fasteners for selectively attaching one or more training bands. The device is used to control hip rotation during the pitching of the ball. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,881 W J Miller)
Most training devices for Tennis are designed to reduce the effects of Tennis Elbow. As those devices are not covered within the scope of this application, they will not be noted here. Training devices not related to tennis elbow include a device for “assisting a trainee in stroking a tennis racket in such a manner that the head of the tennis racket does not shift in the vertical plane below the wrist . . . ” (U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,465 B Roland); a rigid device for teaching the proper wrist position (U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,686 J C Daugherty) (U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,608 P E Gilly) (U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,257 A Bobby); A device that couples the wrists together in order to move the arms together in order to train the player to turn the shoulders and twist the body (U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,833 J E Groveman); and a device which couples the racket to the players wrist in order to prevent the player from bending or flexing the wrist (U.S. Pat. No. 5,618,040 C G Parten).
A volleyball training device involves a waistband and wrist strap that are connected together with a tether that restricts the movement of the arm as required by some volleyball shots (U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,696 C D Saha) and an adjustable set of straps to teach and practice the proper body position while passing or moving to pass a volleyball (U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,385 D Lazzeroni).